I am new and am probably still in the process of perfecting how I hold my needles, etc. I am using the continental method and think with time the right index finger might get sore from pushing the needle down when taking off the stitch. Is there a gadget for this to put on your finger or do I need to work on not pushing the needle down with my finger.

I'm not saying I never push the needle down, but I do try to make an effort to pull off stitches instead (I pull it off at a little bit of an angle so I actually feel a subtle little "pop" when it's pulled off successfully). I use my left hand to inch up the yarn a bit as I knit.

If you're really putting a lot of pressure on your index finger to push the needle down, you might want to relax a little while knitting. It sounds like your stitches might be a bit tight, requiring extra effort to push the needle down.

my finger started to get sore when i first started knitting, but after a while i got used to it and now i don't notice anymore. if it still bothers you after a while you could wrap your finger in athletic tape.

Eh, actually I've been knitting 4 years and I *still* do this. I'm a pretty quick knitter, too, so it hasn't slowed me down. ^_^ I developed a callous on my index finger - the same kind I got when I took up guitar. Everybody has a different style. You could try a rubber sewing thimble if you want or you could try to change your style - whatever makes you happy. ^_^

I had this when I started knitting, but when I relaxed my tension a bit it went away. However, for small gauge knitting I still get it, so all I did was I went to a pound store and got a huge box of cheap plasters (bandaids) and put the cushioned bit over the finger. I keep them in my knitting bag and didn't have any more blisters :-)

First I'd like to say "see the knitting-wine" thread :D Then, I have been knitting pretty religiously since Aug 2007 and just cast on a sock this weekend---my WHOLE body was tense. It was ridiculous. My FEET were flexed up even, I was like a board. Just try to relax a bit, be conscious of it and see if it gets better then.

I was knitting with cotton yarn on tiny needles (not a good plan!) and found I was having to push a LOT with my fingers. What I did was go to the office supply store and buy some of those rubber thingies that you use to sort papers....sort of a little fingertip cover. Mine were "knobby" so I turned them inside out, and found they worked great. They were only just under $1 for a set of 6.

I also found I developed a bit of a callous, and also that after a time, and with the right yarn/needle combination, it isn't an ongoing problem.